Israeli and Palestinian representatives are due to hold talks in Cairo Sunday, Qatar-based Al Jazeera Television said Saturday.
The report added the delegations to the talks, to be held with Egyptian mediation, will be led in the Israeli side by Labor Member of parliament Yossi Katz, and on the Palestinian side by chief Palestinian Authority negotiator, Saeb Erekat. Katz is a close aide of newly elected Labor chairman Amram Mitzna.
According to the report, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been working to create a direct negotiations channel between the PA and Mitzna. Mitzna is reportedly scheduled to arrived in Cairo in the following days to meet with Mubarak.
Mitzna reiterated on Saturday his pledge to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip if no agreement is reached with the Palestinians, but warned that only a dialogue can produce a lasting peace.
A unilateral withdrawal from the territories would be "problematic, difficult and not easy," Mitzna told Israel Radio. "Therefore, it is very important to first have a dialogue (with the Palestinians)."
"There is no way to achieve stable and real security for the Middle East without dialogue," the Labor Party leader said. "Unilateral withdrawal is a kind of threat. A threat that if we don't enter into a dialogue, we will build a wall between us, without an agreement, and this security border will of course differ than the border that could result from an agreement."
"I think that we must give another chance to reaching an agreement" with the Palestinians, he aired. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
